Year 4, Day 250: Acts 17

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Protection

• Protection: In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray that God might deliver us from evil – even the Evil One.  Sometimes we need God’s protection from the sin around us.  Sometimes we need protection from the sinful people around us.  Other times we need protection from the sin that lies within ourselves. In any case, Jesus’ point is clear.  We need protection from the Father to make it through each and every day.

This is a difficult chapter for Paul’s ministry.  He has been booted from Philippi.  He moves on to Thessalonica and has success before being removed from that city.  Then he goes on to Berea where he has tremendous spiritual success until people from Thessalonica come and cause trouble.  It’s a cycle of success and defeat.  It’s a rollercoaster of joy and turmoil.

In all of this, Paul must rely upon the Lord for protection.  Everywhere that Paul went, trouble followed.  Everywhere that Paul preached, he was on the defensive.  It is a sad state of affairs, but it is nonetheless a true statement for Paul.  If the Lord didn’t protect him, the world would have eaten him alive!

But Paul does survive.  He does manage.  He does continue in his ministry.  He does continue to step out in faith time and time again.  He does open his mouth again and again and again.  He finds himself going to jail over and over.  He finds himself in battles with magistrates and synagogue leaders and yet he still is protected by the Lord and moving ahead with the calling of God.  The Lord protects Paul and allows Paul to follow the calling of the Lord.

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